Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1887-05-22

aay We opened drills about ~.
inches wide and three inches 49,
three rows eighteen inches snars az
SKIP one After drilling several row.
Oethought myself 10 count hsvT fbfe,,
the seed lay, and found an axer.ge ~
sixteen Peas TO the running foof ~
drill. IL the weather had heen dr~ +
should have made the driIl derr.sr 80 4
also would have trMmped On re rc,-
aswe covered the seed but did r,.sisI,.r
AT hrst thought that would seern ~ ~
700 thick, but il Is not. II pavs : hrn.
dred fold 70 seed heavy: 4 4 an go
matter 20 thin out. hut often irnr,o,-sss-
bic 70 replace Our Rardens Mn -
late, nevertheless we are Enre ~ s-no5
results; at least never have faiisd r.
an these thirty-four years, 80 why need
we fear now. 'i'e'A
we are also cutting our seed pota-
toes. This year | viii plant ali Bur-
bank seedlings, both from necessity
ana from choice. I do not exnecf Il
plant Tor three weeks yet, and not Their
unless All the conditions are favorable
The seed as cut are spread out on the
n00r about eighteen inches deem. where
we can scoop them over, If need be
these are kept in a cool darkened
room, and viii come 10 no harm II not
planted for three weeks, but. in fact
VII be better than TO plant fresh cuf
Deieve, as a rule, we plant our pota-
toes too early; not early enough 10
mature entirely before the fan Tains
yet 20 they are checked by the drv
weather Of August, and take a second
growth when rains come. PLANTING
late on deep plowed soil, cultiyatin9
thoroughly 50 as 20 keep the growth
continuous, with the potatoes enlv
fairly setting in September. We are
assured & good crop. We should mot
strive to raise large potatoes. hence Il
Is best 20 pile on the seed y and miami
close. like the rows wide apart. lint
let the hills beelose together in the row
on strong land not more than ten
inches apart.
We began re-plOwing the ground for
corn today, May 18th. This particuIar
piece had been plowed in March. but
not subsoiled. Wei are re-plowine
and following with the subsoiI. We
shall work the surface over thoroughly
in about a week with the disk harrow.
but unless in the meantime the weather
should turn very warm, will not plant
until the surface weeds sprout and We
have a chance to destroy them before
planting. This will bring the time
forward close to the LIST of June: but
then, when we do plant, the corn will
grow apace and will give better final
results than II planted earlier and
stunted.
| tried yesterday in Seattle to get a
Thomas smoothing harrow, and did
not find one in the city. | wanted il
to harrow the whole surface Of the
ground over after the corn and pota-
toes are up, and thereby destroy mil
lions Of weeds with the team, right In
the hill. So, not finding one, I bought
the harrow teeth, 4 and 4 steel, and
shall make one at home. | shall set
the teeth back, at an angle Of nearly
As degrees. This same harrow becomes
an excellent clod masher when weight
ed down. ! have used it in the hop
ground with excellent results. 1t is OF
no use, though, unless used promptly
in time.
Better late than never" is an old
but true maxim. Somehow, though,
we abuse the privilege. / thought so
today when we reached the work on
the eurrant bushes, just hoeing them
and giving supports to the very tall
growth, while now the fruit is nearly
all set. Better do it, though, late as Il
is, although the currants will not be so
large nor the lunches so long as il we
had done this work a month earlier.
The fact is, this work of pruning and
much Of the cultivation should be done
in the fall, or during the winter. We
found growths seven feet long; these
ought to have been cut back to three.
Ii does seem to me we can raise more
currants to the square rod than any
other place on earth. La the Kent hop
district Of England I was last May in
the currant gardens, (ields, more prop
erly speakingl where hundreds Of acres
are grown. These were at home in
that climate, but in no wise would
compare with what we have here. /
believe cuTrants can be grown in the
bunch bushel for bushel with potatoes
for less cost Of the two. TO make
amends for the neglect | will mulch
these now, although, from present APP
pearances, one would think we never
would again see a dry spell. Mulch
ing does wonderful work for all kinds
of berries as well as currants.
Alvord was over on Saturday and
caught me turning the seventy gallon
barrel churn. He fairly boiled over
with exultation at having caught me
practicing opposite to what | had
preached" He had said that my pub
fishing him had broken up milking his
" string OF cows; that he now only
MIXED two; that / had run Nicely
clear out of the dairy business alto
gether by my trade against the old
men working so hard, and now he had
caught rae working " like an old Turk. ~
Now, the fact Is, | make no TRADE
against old men working" On the
other hand, l think il does them good.
One does not want TO sit down and
" rust OUT" for, II he does, he becomes
a nonentity and had about a well be
dead Ii was the manner and kind OF
work that objected to. To direct,
one must often show by the hands as
well as by the word OF mouth. In this
case was just gathering the butter
watching when the little butter balls
we're large enough 10 permit drawing
of the buttermlk, and to add the brine
and begin the washing in the churn.
II churned Just minute too long, but
termilk will be imprisoned in the but
ter pellets. and no amount Of washing
will take the milk out. Anyway. later
in the day We had the satisfaction Of
seeing clear brine run from the butter
worker with no faint of milk, and
knew for certain that that batch Of
butter would keep.
was amused AZ a lady the other
day q dare not print her namel who
/ had thanked me for " going after the
old men for working 50 hard, and
( said she thought what | had written
/ had done Mr.. ---t II came very neal
naming him right OUT good, and sh,
wanted me 10 " hit him again An
Z swering an earnest invitation to ruI
over and see the creamery aud visi
/ Jane" she really hadn't the time
What did she dof Oh. wash up tn,
milk things, roll ont the butter, and /
{ like string OF things Of routine dat,
as binding as the milking Of tn
" string" of cows. OF course, | dar
not demonstrate against her working
50 hard because she was growing old
that wouldn't do. She could rejoice